Why is My Dishwasher Not Draining?

Although it’s never a pleasant sight to open a dishwasher and discover it is still full of water, try not to lose it just yet. You could manage deal with the problem before you have to call a plumber or invest in a brand-new machine.

Your machine refusing to drain can be bought about by multiple components some of which can be simple to fix. Therefore, in advance of calling a dishwasher repair service try this list of probable issues you could troubleshoot on your own. A proportion of which are not even a fault of the dishwasher itself.

Ensure the cycle wasn’t stopped mid-way

It is possible that there is nothing stopping your dishwasher from draining. Instead, the cycle could have been interrupted.

The cycle may have been cut short for any number of of reasons. Little fingers pushing controls, inadvertently pushing on the control panel, a power cut or opening the machine mid-program could all stop the cycle from completing and mean your dishwasher doesn’t empty.

If you think this could be the case, or you feel it may be a good idea to check run your dishwasher again on a short program.

A number appliances could have an empty capacity meaning it’s well worth consulting your manual or checking online to make sure.

Inspect the waste disposal

If your dishwasher is attached to a garbage disposal check this before you move on as a blocked garbage disposal will stop the machine from emptying. Turn on the garbage disposal using plenty of water to check there are no obstructions.

If you do find an issue drain cleaner or a natural alternative can be used to remove the obstruction and so this may fix the problem.

Check the sink waste for blockages

If you kitchen sink is emptying inefficiently this might indicate an issue with the plumbing rather than an error with your machine.

If the sink is emptying reluctantly you can attempt putting some bicarb and vinegar down the plughole, letting it sit for a while and then flushing it away with boiling water.

A sink plunger may also be utilized to try and shift the blockage.

This might be all you need to do to allow the dishwasher to drain so run a short rinse and drain cycle now. If not you can remove the dirty water by hand using a cup and a towel and check a few more possible issues.

At this point make certain to unplug the machine to stay safe.

If while you are carrying out one of these investigations you believe you may have discovered and fixed the issue you don’t have to go through the remaining steps. Just run an empty cycle to ensure the dishwasher is repaired.

Examine and wash the filters

Any number of things could block the filters including corn kernels, labels from containers, plastic covers and broken glass. Clear film can also be difficult to spot if you aren’t looking for it.

Take out the filter and give it a thorough clean before putting it back in place. Not all machines have their filter in the same location so you could need to consult the manual for this.

Is the drain pipe obstructed?

The next area to inspect is the drain pipe. Many things could cause an obstruction including a build up of food debris, a kink in the hose, or a crushed hose. All of which could all impede your dishwasher from draining.

Depending on the location of the waste hose (generally the corrugated one) you could have the means to inspect it simply by taking off the kick plate or you may have to pull the machine away from under the counter.

Have a look at the pipe first to see if there are any kinks or it’s been squashed. You could have the means to fix these issues by hand which should rectify the issue, but be aware that when this has occurred it is much more inclined to happen again so you might wish to order a new hose.

If you can’t find anything you could disconnect the waste hose from the machine and blow into it to figure out if there are any blockages. Be sure to put down newspaper or towels before you remove the hose as there might still be dirty water in the pipe.

If you can’t blow through the waste hose this may be the reason your machine isn’t emptying.

Disconnect the hose at the sink end and then give it a good flush through to remove the blockage. If you are unable to shift the obstruction or the pipe is slit or worn buy a new one. If you can get rid of the obstruction then put the hose back and start a short cycle to make sure you have fixed the issue.

You may also check the point where the waste hose attaches under your sink. This is a typical spot for blockages to occur so if you happen to remove the hose give this area a good clean as well.

Inspect the drain valve

You could manually check the drain valve to ensure it isn’t seized. The drain valve will generally be located at the base of the dishwasher on the valve bracket. Check your owners manual if you’re not sure.

Pressing down on the valve or giving it a wiggle will likely be enough to let you know if it’s seized. If you can see an object stopping it from moving carefully extract this. If you can’t, this might be when you should ring a repair person unless you are undaunted by ordering and replacing the valve on your own.

Examine your pump is not blocked

Your water pump uses impellers that may become blocked by broken china or other objects. Check your impellers aren’t blocked by removing the cover and ensuring that the impellers can rotate freely.

Listen to your dishwasher while it’s running

If the dishwasher sounds unusual your pump or motor may be broken and need to be repaired.

Call a repair person

If you have been through the above list and the error persists, or you have reason to believe the pump, pump valve or motor are damaged, it might be the right time to call for help.

This way though you will at least be able to give them more information and have managed to avoid needing to pay a hefty call-out fee for a blocked hose.